Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of the extremely rare M1939, M39 or Eierhandgranate (egg hand grenade), offered in very good condition. The grenade has been deactivated according to specifications provided by the ATF. It is totally inert, cannot be converted to an explosive devise.

This example is in good condition, though the body has been repainted black for display. The grenade still has the original blue fuze top, marked 41 / brb, for 1941 manufacture by the famous Richard Rinker GmbH in Iserlohn. This is the company that designed the M24 stick grenade, and manufactured all types of explosives during the wartime period. There are also markings on the bottom of the grenade body: 669A / 044, and stamped on the side: Do 7140.

We were not able to unscrew the fuze cap, so we do not know if the original string is still present, however the fuze itself does still unscrew from the body. This is the type without the "wings' seen on some.

A totally honest original German Egg Grenade, in very nice display condition. This would make a worthy addition to any grenade collection.

The Model 39 Eihandgranate (or Eierhandgranate, "egg hand grenade") was a German hand grenade introduced in 1939 and produced until the end of World War II. The Eihandgranate used the same fuse assembly (the BZE 39) as the Model 43 Stielhandgranate ("Stick Grenade"), which was screwed into the top of the sheet-metal body. To activate, the domed cap was unscrewed, and the pull-cord that had been coiled inside it was tugged sharply before throwing at the target.

The color of the cap indicated the burning time of the type of fuze fitted. Typically, a delay of around 4 seconds was used. However, if a grenade was to be used as a fixed booby-trap then an instantaneous fuse would be fitted. Enemy soldiers who found seemingly discarded grenades would attempt to use them (expecting a standard time delay) only to be blown up the moment they tugged on the pull-cord. Another scenario was to wire an instantaneously fuzed grenade to a door-frame in an abandoned building. Then the pull-cord would be attached to the door. When the door was kicked open by opposing troops the grenade would detonate.

Fuze Cap Colors:

Grey - zero delay (used exclusively for booby-traps and fuse ignitors)
Red - 1 second delay (for coloured smoke, but also booby-traps)
Blue - 4.5 second delay (this was the standard fuze and the one most commonly issued)
Yellow - 7.5 seconds 

As grenades were disposable, encountering them on the market is very rare, especially with the original fuze in place, making this an excellent opportunity to acquire one to complete a WWII ordnance collection.